The new strategy will add 2.1 million ounces of gold production to the Tropicana business plan, extending mine life by about seven years to 2027. They plan to decide by 2020 whether to strip the Havana main pit, and then by 2022 whether to start the final stages of the Havana main pit.

AngloGold forecasts gold production at the mine of as much as 492,000 ounces next year and at least 530,000 ounces in 2019.

Tropicana, which is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti Australia (70 per cent) and Independence Group, is the state's third largest gold mine, with production of 432,00oz previous year.